Turtle-sniffing dogs in Montana, false alarm from balloons in Michigan, and more

Linden

An African-American woman who took over the helm of a small-town newspaper that recently called for the Ku Klux Klan to “ride again” has stepped down after a few weeks, citing interference from the newspaper’s owner. Elecia R. Dexter told The New York Times on Friday that she stepped down because of continuing interference from the owner, Goodloe Sutton (above), who had published the KKK editorial. Dexter said she wanted to maintain her “integrity and well-being.” “I would have liked it to turn out a different way, but it didn’t,” Dexter, 46, told the newspaper. “This is a hard one because it’s sad – so much good could have come out of this.” Her appointment was heralded as a positive in the small town. She said she hoped her appointment would let the community know that “this is everybody’s paper.”

Juneau

November would be permanently declared Alaska Native Heritage Month under legislation in the state Senate. The bill’s sponsor, Anchorage Democratic Sen. Elvi Gray-Jackson, says introducing such bills is a way to show communities that lawmakers care. Gray-Jackson has also proposed permanently making February Black History Month in Alaska. The Juneau Empire reports that former Gov. Bill Walker issued proclamations declaring November as Alaska Native Heritage Month, but those declarations weren’t permanent. Richard Peterson, president of the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, says Walker’s actions were appreciated. But Peterson says a permanent, more formal recognition would be meaningful.

Tucson

More than 30 years after it was brazenly stolen from a museum, a painting by Willem de Kooning reportedly worth $100 million is going on display back where it all began. The University of Arizona Museum of Art in Tucson threw a fundraiser and homecoming party of sorts for “Woman-Ochre” on Sunday before it’s whisked away for months of restoration work. The painting is going to the Getty Center in Los Angeles, where experts in art conservation and scientific analysis can work on fully restoring it. One of the main issues is whether it’s possible to reattach the canvas to the fragments left behind when the perpetrator sliced the painting directly out of the frame with a blade, curator Olivia Miller says.

Little Rock

The state House of Representatives has approved legislation that would require public school districts to develop policies to allow home- and private-schooled students to enroll for individual classes. Department of Education records show there are about 20,000 home-schooled students in Arkansas. About 270 home-schooled students are currently enrolled in classes across 72 districts in the state. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that Rep. Mark Lowery’s sponsored bill expands on the Oklahoma Department of Education’s Act 173, which permits home-schooled and private school students to attend classes in their local school districts. Administrators have voiced concerns that allowing outside students to enroll in classes could affect a district’s attendance.

Riverside

A new survey has found a sharp decline in desert bighorn sheep in Southern California, and biologists suspect the cause is a disease contracted from domestic animals. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife says a survey earlier this month counted 60 bighorns in the Mount San Gorgonio region east of Los Angeles. That’s down two-thirds from a survey conducted in 2016. Biologist Jeff Villepique says in the past, such die-offs have been triggered by an outbreak of a respiratory disease spread by contact with domestic sheep or goats. The disease killed at least 21 bighorns whose carcasses were found in the area in December. Southern California has about 4,800 desert bighorn sheep in 64 herds. Authorities say so far, sheep in nearby herds haven’t been affected.

Fort Collins

Colorado State University could have its first female president, pending the approval of the school’s governing board. Joyce McConnell has been chosen to replace outgoing President Tony Frank following a five-month, nationwide search. McConnell is currently provost and vice president for academic affairs at West Virginia University. CSU officials say that during her time at West Virginia University, she led efforts to improve gender equity, focused on raising faculty salaries, and promoted diversity and inclusion. McConnell says she’s excited to bring her passion to CSU and to “help continue the thriving spirit that created this university and is still evident today.” If her selection is approved, she will start her new role July 1 as Frank transitions to his full-time role as chancellor.

Hartford

A lawmaker who supports eliminating the religious exemption from vaccinations for public school students is holding an informational forum on the science behind vaccines. Democratic Rep. Josh Elliott of Hamden says he’s concerned about the “pseudo-science” fueling fear among a “vocal minority” about vaccine safety. He’s organized a forum Tuesday at the Legislative Office Building with experts, including professors from Yale University. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an environmental lawyer and president of Children’s Health Defense, is also scheduled to participate on the panel. Kennedy is a vaccine skeptic and has testified in other states against legislation requiring vaccinations. He’s scheduled to appear later Tuesday at a separate event organized by two lawmakers concerned about vaccines.

Dover

Lawmakers have given final approval for the state to give its Electoral College presidential votes to whoever wins the national popular vote, not Delaware’s vote. The House voted 24-17 last week to join 11 other Democratic-leaning states in a popular-vote compact. The initiative was launched after Democrat Al Gore won the popular vote in 2000 but lost to George W. Bush. It gained steam after Hillary Clinton lost to Donald Trump along similar lines. Supporters say the change would make candidates pay more attention to voters outside traditional “battleground” states.

Washington

It’s a tale of star-crossed lovers, pregnancy and loss, and a hungry raccoon. Washingtonians, along with a global community of eagle-watchers, have been transfixed this winter by the saga of Liberty and Justice, a pair of bald eagles who’ve become local celebrities. The birds have lived and nested for 14 years in an oak tree on the grounds of the city’s police academy, and their lives have been chronicled by a popular online eagle cam. This year’s spring mating season was full of drama – covered by local media with Kardashian-level detail. Justice, the male, disappeared for weeks, leaving his mate alone with their eggs to be courted by two other males. The couple eventually reunited, the eggs never hatched, and a raccoon ate everything anyway.

Fort Myers

Florida Gulf Coast University research released Friday shows airborne cyanobacteria toxins can travel more than a mile inland, raising questions about health consequences for those exposed to the region’s massive blue-green algae blooms last year. Air samplers found two blue-green algae toxins – microcystin and BAMA – at the university’s Buckingham complex, said lead scientist Mike Parsons, a professor of marine biology. Both have been linked by some scientists to grave health problems, including liver cancer and neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s. The devices previously found them at a Cape Coral canal-front home and at the university’s Vester Field Station in Bonita Springs, in particle sizes able to deeply penetrate human lungs.

Savannah

State wildlife officials say a South American lizard could be establishing a breeding population in south Georgia. The lizards – known as tegus – can grow up to 4 feet long. The Savannah Morning News reports that talk of large, odd-looking lizards has been circulating in eastern Toombs and western Tattnall counties. People have reported seeing them crossing dirt roads, and they’ve shown up on trail cameras. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources has documented at least four adult Argentine black and white tegus in the state. Also, there have been 20 sightings in the stretch of forest, farmland and streams from the south Georiga town of Lyons to Reidsville. The agency is encouraging residents to report sightings as biologists investigate their possible expansion into Georgia.

Honolulu

A judge is allowing the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to continue its lawsuit over the University of Hawaii’s management of Mauna Kea. Amid a raging controversy over building the Thirty Meter Telescope on Mauna Kea, OHA filed the lawsuit in 2017, accusing the university of developing the mountain for astronomy at the expense of its environment and cultural significance. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports a judge is allowing the lawsuit to move forward, while rejecting a breach-of-contract claim. OHA says the university has failed as stewards of Mauna Kea. The university says it is pleased the judge dismissed one of the lawsuit’s two claims, and it will continue litigating the claim. University officials say they’ve made great strides in the mountain’s management.

Moscow

The University of Idaho in Moscow is poised to get a new $46 million basketball arena. The Lewiston Tribune reports that the Idaho State Board of Education voted unanimously Thursday to support the new construction project, pending final approval from the university’s new president. The 62,000-square-foot facility will be called the Idaho Central Credit Union Arena and will seat 4,200 people. It will be located next to the ASUI Kibbie Activity Center, also known as the Kibbie Dome (above). Groundbreaking is expected this spring, and it should be completed in 2021. Plans to build such a venue have been considered since the 1950s. The state board approved bonds or reserve funds to cover $29 million of the initial construction costs.

Springfield

Country Music Hall of Fame legend Reba McEntire will perform this summer at the Illinois State Fair. Officials say she will close out the lineup at the Illinois Lottery Grandstand Stage with a concert Aug. 18. McEntire is a household name whose career has spanned five decades in music, television, film, theater and retail. She’s a member of the Hollywood Bowl and has won 16 ACM Awards, 15 American Music Awards, nine People’s Choice Awards, six CMA Awards, three Grammy Awards and a GMA Dove Award. The 2018 Kennedy Center Honors recipient has a new album, “Stranger Than the Truth,” scheduled for release April 5. Country singer Rachel Wammack, selected for Entertainment Weekly’s “2019 Artists to Watch,” will open for McEntire.

Indianapolis

The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis removed three Michael Jackson items from exhibits this month, joining a handful of organizations that have reassessed connections to the late singer following HBO’s airing of documentary film “Leaving Neverland.” The two-part film focuses on two men who allege Jackson sexually abused them when they were children. A fedora and glove Jackson wore onstage as well as a Jackson poster are no longer on display at the museum. The fedora and glove were displayed in the “American Pop” exhibit in the museum’s Galleries for American Arts and Popular Culture. A Jackson poster was seen as part of a Ryan White tribute in the museum’s “Power of Children” exhibit. White, an Indiana teenager diagnosed with AIDS following a blood transfusion, died in 1990.

Iowa City

Uniquely trained dogs will converge upon Johnson County this spring to round up a rare turtle species for a wildlife conservation project of Bur Oak Land Trust. The concern is for the ornate box turtle, Iowa’s only native terrestrial turtle, which lives on sandy prairies and open forest land. These box turtles are listed as “threatened” in Iowa, so removing them from the wild is illegal, but poaching the turtles to sell as pets is another factor in the species’ decline. Enter John Rucker, a Montana dog trainer and turtle expert who travels in a modified van with his Boykin spaniels. When the dogs find a box turtle, they bring it unharmed to researchers for weighing, shell measuring and photos. The data are valuable for tracking the species health and location, plus managing its habitat to improve survival rates.

Dodge City

Officials say the town’s recent economic growth is endangered by the lack of a four-year college. The city anchors a 28-county region in western Kansas without a four-year college. In recent years, the city completed $86 million in renovations and expansions to its schools, an addition to the Boot Hill Museum, a new $12 million waterpark and several new businesses. The Kansas News Service reports city officials believe the lack of a four-year college forces students to leave to pursue higher education. That, in turn, means many middle-class jobs such as teaching or health care go unfilled. Joann Knight, head of economic development, says the city would welcome a satellite campus for universities based elsewhere that could build on the area’s community college programs.

Fort Mitchell

Roughly half of Kentuckians surveyed about needle exchanges support the programs that let injection drug users trade used syringes for sterile ones, a new Kentucky Health Issues Poll shows. Interact for Health and the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky partnered to pay for the 2018 poll, released last week. The survey shows that 49 percent of Kentuckians reached support needle exchanges, and 40 percent oppose them. Another 10 percent weren’t sure. Those who were familiar with exchange programs were more likely to favor them. Young adults, ages 18 to 29, and those with a college degree are most likely to support the exchanges, the poll’s demographic results show. Those who live in urban areas are more likely than those living in rural areas to favor the programs.

Baton Rouge

U.S. Rep. Ralph Abraham is urging President Donald Trump to consider the state for the future headquarters of Trump’s proposed Space Force. The Republican congressman wrote a letter to the president, suggesting Louisiana was an “ideal location” because of its strong existing relationships with the military and NASA. Abraham, who is running for governor, says Space Force would “fit perfectly” at Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City. He notes NASA’s existing Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans has built components for the nation’s space program for decades. Space Force would be the first new military service since 1947. Congress first must authorize the new service, making its fate unclear. Critics have questioned the need to create a separate Space Force.

Bangor

Sen. Angus King said after a meeting with the acting interior secretary that the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument’s existence is settled. King, who met Friday in Bangor with Acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, said there’s a line for the monument in the president’s budget. The Bangor Daily News reports Bernhardt spent Thursday touring parts of Acadia National Park. The Katahdin Woods and Watters discussion Friday included some business owners from the Katahdin region. The Trump administration previously reviewed the monument created on land donated by the family of Burt’s Bees co-founder Roxanne Quimby. The land includes a 17-mile loop road with views of Mount Katahdin; trails for hiking, mountain biking and snowmobiling; and paddling on the Penobscot River’s East Branch.

Ocean City

The state has already lost over half a billion dollars in property value because market growth has been impeded by increased tidal flooding linked to sea level rise, according to a new study. Crisfield, Ocean City and West Ocean City top the chart for the state with a combined $87 million in unrealized growth from 2005 to 2017. The study, by Brooklyn nonprofit First Street Foundation, does not measure a decline in home values. Instead it looks at property value appreciation, calculating how much more home values would have risen without the impacts of tidal flooding. The analysis concluded that property values in the Mid-Atlantic region would be worth almost $900 million more without tidal flooding increases over 12 years.

Boston

Native American leaders are teaming up with the U.S., British and Dutch governments on next year’s commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrim landing. Events are planned in all three countries next year to reflect on the Pilgrims’ arrival in 1620 to what is now Massachusetts. Organizers gathered Thursday at the New England Historical Genealogical Society to firm up plans for yearlong remembrances of the Mayflower’s voyage – and the disease, racism and oppression native people suffered after the European settlers arrived. Wampanoag leader Paula Peters is insisting on an unvarnished look back at the harsh legacy of colonization.

Ann Arbor

The University of Michigan says popping balloons may have sparked an “active shooter” alert at a building in the middle of campus. In a statement late Saturday, the university said authorities received up to 20 calls about shots being fired at Mason Hall. The reports came during a nearby vigil for those killed in the mosque shootings in New Zealand. Alerts issued by the school’s Department of Public Safety and Security about 5 p.m. told students who were near Mason Hall to “run, hide, fight.” About 40 minutes later, the university sent another alert saying there “does not appear to be an active threat to the community.” Authorities confirmed there was “balloon popping activity” in the area where reports emerged about shots being fired. The school says there was no “malicious intent” behind the activity.

Morris

Some cities in the North Star State are grappling with how to reduce the amount of chloride being released from wastewater treatment plants into lakes and rivers, which can be toxic to fish. Sara Heger, a research engineer at the University of Minnesota’s Water Resources Center, tells Minnesota Public Radio that home water softeners are often the reason municipal wastewater treatment plants release excess chloride. Heger says there’s no easy fix. Most treatment plants weren’t designed to remove chloride from water, and it’s often a difficult and expensive process. The city of Morris is opening a new $18 million plant this spring, which will use lime and soda ash to centrally soften water before it’s piped into homes and businesses. Residents will likely have to pay higher water rates to cover costs.

Jackson

The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum is offering a series of programs to give visitors a deep look at each of its eight galleries. A free presentation examines the museum’s first gallery, Mississippi Freedom Struggle, which tells about slavery and emancipation. It begins at 6 p.m. Thursday. A news release from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History says the program will feature a living history presentation by Natchez public historian Darrell White and two scholarly presentations. White will portray members of the United States Colored Troops who served for the Union Army during the Civil War. MADDRAMA theater troupe, made up of young African-American actors, will perform a slavery-themed re-enactment.

Jefferson City

A state lawmaker says he knows his legislation requiring every 18- to 35-year-old in the state to own an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle has no chance of passing. But Republican state Rep. Andrew McDaniel, of Deering, says he hopes it and another bill he introduced help to “make a point on mandates in general.” The second bill would require adults who can legally possess firearms to do so. Both bills would offer tax credits. McDaniel says it “points out the absurdity of the opposite side” and their proposals to “add more requirements and barriers for law-abiding citizens.” The former sheriff’s deputy says he decided, “Let’s get back at them.” No hearings on the bills are scheduled. McDaniel says if anything moves forward, he would focus on tax credits and strip out the other elements.

Missoula

The University of Montana is moving forward with a plan to add online courses intended for students who live far from its traditional campus amid shrinking enrollment numbers. The Missoulian reports that two companies will be interviewed in April to create the online program. Provost Jon Harbor says expanding the university’s digital programs is essential to its future. The financial expectations for the program are unclear. Faculty Senate Chair Matt Semanoff says professors want to maintain control over their courses but are excited about a chance to reach people who cannot pursue a college degree on campus. Harbor says online students tend to be older and are looking to complete a degree or pursue one while continuing their work and life away from a physical college campus.

Lincoln

A bill that would increase funding aimed at attracting more startup companies to the state is getting support from successful entrepreneurs. The Omaha World-Herald reports that Evan Luxon, co-founder of Centese, was among those who testified Wednesday in support of a bill that would increase funding in the Nebraska Business Innovation Act. The $4 million in additional funding would bring total funding to nearly $10 million annually. Luxon says his small but growing medical equipment company, now based in his hometown of Omaha, would still be in San Francisco if not for the program that began eight years ago to help entrepreneurs. Supporters of Legislative Bill 334 say the extra state funding would encourage more startups in Nebraska.

Carson City

A bill seeking to ban private prisons in the state has passed a legislative hurdle. Legislators on a state Assembly committee voted Friday to approve legislation that requires the “core correctional services” at each prison to be performed by local or state employees. The measure is sponsored by Democratic Assemblywoman Daniele Monroe-Moreno, who told lawmakers earlier this month that Nevada has no private-run prisons at the moment. She says the state once did and experienced “negative consequences.” Several Republican lawmakers voted against the measure. The same committee on Friday passed a separate measure that would ban forced human microchipping.

Durham

University of New Hampshire students have brewed a butternut squash pale ale using home-grown gourds. They say the “George Squashington” brew is reminiscent of the pumpkin ales first developed during Colonial times and will be served during the hospitality college’s spring dining series April 12-14. Cheryl Parker, manager of the UNH Brewing Science Lab, says the students brewed a hoppy pale ale that uses English and American Ale yeast, butternut squash and brown sugar. The base malt is Marris Otter barley from England, with caramel malted barley for a sweet, nutty color and flavor. The squash was grown as part of the Agricultural Experiment Station’s curcurbit breeding program, the longest continuous cucurbit breeding program in North America.

New Brunswick

A mild winter coupled with an excessively rainy 2018 may lead to a surge in the number of ticks capable of transmitting Lyme disease this spring, according to researchers at Rutgers University. More black-legged ticks will be out in force as temperatures begin to rise after thriving last summer and fall and surviving the winter thanks to favorable weather. Climate change, which has fostered warmer winters, has contributed to the higher numbers by allowing more ticks and their animal hosts to survive the colder months and spread out to regions that have not typically hosted the arachnid, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states experienced above-average temperatures and precipitation from December through February.

Albuquerque

Two endangered Mexican wolves have been removed from the wild and are undergoing testing to determine if they’re behind a string of livestock deaths in southwestern New Mexico, marking the latest wrinkle in the strained effort to return the predators to the American Southwest. The two young female wolves were recently captured in an area of the Gila National Forest where ranchers had reported a dozen instances of cattle being killed over a four-month period. An order also was issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service calling for the removal of a third wolf in hopes of curbing the predation. The order allows for wildlife managers to use lethal force if necessary, but biologists want to avoid that if possible.

New York

The city’s $25 billion Hudson Yards development is open to the public, offering both basic daily life amenities and luxuries that have earned it the nickname “Manhattan’s mini-city.” People lined up Friday to climb the 2,500 steps to the top of a massive, honeycomb-shaped sculpture called Vessel – the visual centerpiece of a complex of high-rises on Manhattan’s West Side with pricey commercial and residential space, plus about 100 shops and restaurants. CNN’s Anderson Cooper hosted the inaugural ceremony, joined by singer Andra Day, Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer and a lineup of New York business luminaries. CNN will be a tenant at Hudson Yards along with its parent company, WarnerMedia. Other well-known corporate tenants include the BlackRock money manager, L’Oreal USA, Equinox and Coach.

Goldsboro

A beloved barbecue restaurant has closed over apparent tax problems. News outlets report Wilber’s Barbecue in Goldsboro recently shut its doors, with a sign posted saying the property had been seized due to nonpayment of taxes. WRAL-TV reports the Wayne County Clerk of Court said multiple tax liens had been filed against the restaurant, totaling more than $70,000 in tax liability. State Department of Revenue spokesman Schorr Johnson said the owners can pay back taxes and regain control of the business. Since opening in 1962, Wilber’s has developed a reputation as an important stop for politicians, locals and barbecue-seeking tourists. Longtime pitmaster Keith Ward told WRAL he’s spent his life working there. He said the owners are good people to work for.

Mandan

An elementary school has launched a new program that allows students to write, direct and perform their own stage plays in an effort to help relieve stress. The Bismarck Tribune reports that Mary Stark Elementary School is partnering with Bismarck theater Dakota Stage Ltd. for a six-week performing arts program for students. The school’s literacy coach, Vonda Dahl, has researched the toll that stress at home can take on students’ learning. Dahl says that “every classroom has a certain number of students that are experiencing some sort of chronic stress.” She has found that physical activity, playing chess or music, and performing and visual arts can reduce student stress. Dahl says the school will measure how the theater program affects students academically.

Columbus

The Buckeye State has no shortage of elite athletes, such as LeBron James, Jack Nicklaus and Archie Griffin. A new exhibit at the Ohio History Center puts a spotlight on Ohioans and their roles in shaping the nation’s sports history. Ohio-Champion of Sports opened Saturday and will remain open at least through September 2020. The exhibit – which spans three floors of the museum – took 18 months of work to bring to fruition, says Burt Logan, CEO and executive director of the Ohio History Connection, which operates the museum. Using collected memorabilia and recorded interviews, the exhibit tells the stories of Ohioans – athletes, coaches, owners and, sometimes, fans – at both the amateur and professional level whose exploits changed the national sports landscape.

Sayre

A woman was arrested after authorities say she used a T-shirt gun to launch drugs, cellphones and other contraband over a prison fence. The Oklahoma Department of Corrections says the incident prompted a lockdown at the North Fork Correctional Unit in Sayre, about 120 miles west of Oklahoma City. The agency says authorities arrested Kerri Jo Hickman after discovering the T-shirt gun and another package in her vehicle. Tulsa television station KOTV reports that the container contained cellphones, ear buds, phone chargers, methamphetamine, digital scales, marijuana and tobacco. Hickman remained jailed Friday in Beckham County on complaints of introducing contraband into a penal institution, conspiracy and drug trafficking.

Roseburg

A move to improve the care of foster children relegated to living in hotels has resulted in 25 percent more children removed from their families being housed in institutions such as former juvenile jails, The Oregonian/OregonLive has found. The children sent to cinderblock facilities are often the most traumatized and difficult to care for. Most are teens, but the state is looking at expanding institutional programs for children as young as 6. Oregon child welfare leaders signed a court settlement a year ago promising to stop housing vulnerable foster children in hotels, state offices and juvenile detention centers instead of with families, amid a shortage of foster homes. Child welfare officials say they’ve begun phasing out the use of hotel rooms, but the state has placed dramatically more youth in institutional settings.

Harrisburg

Musician Jim Croce (above left) and novelist John Updike are among the subjects of 18 new state historical markers given approval by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. The commission announced selections Thursday that also include the Bethel Burying Ground, an African-American cemetery established in 1810 in Philadelphia. The markers were selected from a group of 55 nominees and will be added to about 2,300 that have previously been installed along the state’s roadways. Other newly approved subjects and topics include an Olympian from Washington County, an abolitionist from Warren County, a pioneering transplant surgeon and the state’s first home for veterans.

Providence

State lawmakers are considering a bill that would exempt breastfeeding mothers from jury service. Mimi Desjarlais with the state Breastfeeding Coalition tells WPRI-TV there is no specific state policy in place, which could give nursing jurors mixed signals. Hannah Bonoyer says when she was called for jury duty, she was told there was only a bathroom available for breastfeeding. She asked to defer her service but wasn’t allowed. Court officers found an empty jury deliberation room for her to nurse in. A state judiciary spokesman says there’s no dedicated space for nursing jurors in state courthouses. Sixteen states allow nursing mothers to postpone or be excused from jury duty. Democratic state Rep. Julie Casimiro of North Kingstown introduced the bill.

Greenville

A TV producer hopes a play premiering in the city will help start a national conversation about the rise of white nationalism on college campuses. Paul Grellong wrote “Power of Sail,” which made its worldwide premiere at Greenville’s Warehouse Theatre, opening this past Friday and running through the end of the month. Grellong is a co-executive producer and writer for “Hawaii Five-O” on CBS. “Power of Sail” is about a college professor who has invited a white nationalist speaker to campus, says Mike Sablone, Warehouse Theatre’s producing artistic director. College students find out about the guest speaker, and they, along with some college administrators, become angry. The play explores the professor’s viewpoint as “a free speech absolutist,” Sablone says, in the context of a hateful movement.

Pierre

Accident victims who receive care from health providers will be protected from unfair billing practices under a new law approved by Gov. Kristi Noem last week. The law would require health providers to submit bills to a patient’s health insurance company rather than holding out for more money by taking a patient’s personal injury settlement. The new law will take effect July 1. The bill’s prime sponsors were Sen. Stace Nelson and Rep. Timothy Johns. It had the support of the South Dakota Trial Lawyers Association. In the controversial billing practice, some providers were making claims against an accident victim’s monetary settlement award. It meant accident victims were being deprived of settlement money they otherwise would have received.

Nashville

The University of Tennessee will begin providing free tuition to certain state residents starting in the fall of 2020. Interim university President Randy Boyd announced Thursday that tuition and fees will be covered for students with household incomes of less than $50,000 a year. Boyd said the university isn’t “just for the wealthy or the elite. This is a school for everyone.” Qualifying students will be matched with volunteer mentors and need to complete service-learning hours. Both incoming students and those already enrolled in 2020 will be eligible. Tennessee five years ago became the first state to make community college tuition-free for new high school graduates. It later expanded that program to allow older adults. State commitments have enabled 46 percent of UT students to graduate without debt.

Houston

Two proposed bills could give landowners in the state more options should electric transmission towers be put up on or near their property. Republican Sen. Larry Taylor has introduced a bill that would require utilities to notify nearby homeowners and hold public hearings before making transmission upgrades, the Houston Chronicle reports. Republican Rep. Ed Thompson filed a bill that would make it easier for homeowners near utility easements to recover damages if projects lower property values. Thompson’s proposal came after CenterPoint Energy placed transmission towers without notice along an easement that cuts through Silverlake, an unincorporated community near Pearland. Many Silverlake residents are fighting the Houston utility over its 14-mile transmission upgrade from Pearland to Friendswood, saying the hulking steel towers are hurting property values.

Salt Lake City

A well-known abortion rights activist from the state is suing three conservative media publications for defamation, alleging that online stories spread misinformation that she cut the throats of fetuses during abortions. Dr. Leah Torres claims in a lawsuit filed last week that The Daily Caller, The Western Journal and Liftable Media misinterpreted a social media comment she made in 2018 and incited online harassment that led her to lose her job in Utah and have to move out of state. Torres is seeking at least $75,000 for personal and professional damages. She accuses the outlets of defamation, invasion of privacy, intentionally inflicting emotional distress and tortious interference. While living in Utah, Torres was an ardent defender of abortion rights.

Stowe

A 750-acre property seen as a linchpin in preserving Vermont’s wild Worcester Mountains likely will be conserved thanks to an anonymous $5 million gift, says the executive director of the Stowe Land Trust. “We have an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to conserve this outstanding property for our community,” Kristen Sharpless said in a statement last week. “This is the last conservation project of its kind that could happen in our town. It is truly exceptional to have everything coming together to make it possible.” The $5 million gift came through the Vermont Community Foundation, which Executive Director Dan Smith says was the largest grant the foundation has ever made in its 33-year history.

Arlington

Protesters repeatedly shouted “shame” Saturday as a county board unanimously approved a $23 million incentives package for Amazon to build a new headquarters in northern Virginia. The Arlington County Board’s 5-0 vote came after hours of heated public testimony, news outlets report. Supporters said Amazon’s plan to build a massive facility in Crystal City will lead to tens of thousands of good jobs and bring in hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue. Opponents, however, said the tech giant neither needs nor deserves public subsidies. They also said lower-income residents would be driven out by rising rents. “This vote today is about racial justice,” said Danny Cendejas, a member of the La ColectiVA advocacy group, according to WRC-TV.

Mount Vernon

The Navy will bring 36 more EA-18G Growler jets to Naval Air Station Whidbey Island off the state’s coast. The Skagit Valley Herald reports the record of decision issued Wednesday marks the final step in the yearslong process to prepare a required environmental impact statement. U.S. Fleet Forces Command Environmental Public Affairs Officer Ted Brown says the Navy expects the additional jets and personnel to gradually arrive at NAS Whidbey between now and 2022. The Navy will also take various steps to reduce jet noise, including using new technologies to quiet the engines and improve the precision of landing. The Navy has said the addition of 36 Growlers is necessary to maintain the Navy’s overall electronic attack capabilities.

Williamson

Former coal baron Don Blankenship is suing several news outlets and media personalities, claiming he was defamed during his failed bid for a U.S. senate seat. Blankenship’s suit, filed Thursday in Mingo County, names the Associated Press among other large media companies. Blankenship says news organizations waged a concerted plot to destroy him by erroneously labeling him as a convicted felon or saying he was imprisoned for manslaughter. Blankenship is the former CEO of Massey Energy, which owned a mine where a 2010 explosion killed 29 workers. He spent a year in federal prison after being convicted of conspiring to break mine safety laws, a misdemeanor. Blankenship is seeking $12 billion in damages.

Milwaukee

A task force is recommending that the city demolish its aging Mitchell Park domes and replace them with a $300 million building that would house the domes’ horticultural exhibits and the history museum. Milwaukee County supervisors formed the joint task force in October to study the possibility of building a new Milwaukee Public Museum at Mitchell Park. Wisconsin Public Radio reports that the park’s three glass-and-concrete domes are in desperate need of repair with roughly $30 million in deferred maintenance, but cash-strapped Milwaukee County can’t afford to restore them. The task force suggests demolishing the iconic domes to make way for a “great cultural institution” that integrates the museum’s existing collection with the plants currently inside the domes.

Jackson

The Northern Rockies Conservation Cooperative has awarded its Craighead Conservation Award to Yellowstone National Park biologist PJ White. White is chief of wildlife and aquatic resources at Yellowstone and has researched all the major mammals in Greater Yellowstone, working to find solutions that help wildlife and humans coexist. White is the author of more than 125 scientific papers and many popular books. The Craighead Conservation Award was established in 2003 to honor the legacy of Frank and John Craighead, who were known for their pioneering research into grizzly bears.